The present invention relates generally to the interaction of system components, and in particular to the integration of independent components to allow the components to work together and delegate functionality in a processing flow.
At the present time there is a rapid convergence of technologies, such as telecommunications and information technology (IT) technologies. Confronted with huge infrastructure costs, telecommunication service providers are attempting to develop high value services in order to recoup their investments. At the same time, these providers have to deal with eroding revenue streams from traditional services (e.g., voice) and fend off aggressive new competitors such as virtual service providers and other Internet-based service providers that provide competitive services at very low costs. For service providers, it is essential to be able to rationalize their environment to build, deploy, and manage services as well as facilitate the development of attractive services by third party partner service providers.
In one example, the telecommunications industry is specifying and promoting new networks (such as NGNs or Next generation networks) that aim to provide support for the latest technologies (e.g., VoIP, multimedia streaming and messaging, and web 2.0) and an Internet-like user experience with viable business models for the operators. These networks can be used to provide new, attractive, and revenue generating multimedia ad real time services, for example. IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) is the most widely known example of such a new network technology. With its layered architecture, IMS provides the ability to deploy new exciting services (e.g., VoIP, Multimedia streaming and messaging and web 2.0), as well as convergence (e.g., VCC), making these services available through multiple access networks, such as FMC (Fix Mobile convergence) where the services are available through mobile and wired networks. Of course, the Internet is the other mainstream of NGN that enables web 2.0 services in general.
An example of a new and exciting service is triple play (voice+data+video) and quadruple play (e.g., adding IPTV, PSTN or mobile) combined with shared business support systems from a single operator or a service provider to a consumer. Demand for such converged services, combined with the convergence between wireless and fixed networks (e.g., broadband), further emphasizes the need to move away from silo-based architectures and instead rely on a horizontal, standards-based platform that enables convergence.
In telecommunications, service providers not only deal with the networks assets, platforms, and services, but must also support business processes to provide services to their customers and interact with their partners and suppliers, as well as operational processes to monitor and administer these assets. Tools, infrastructure, data repositories, and applications for performing these tasks are referred to as service provider business support systems (BSS) and operational support systems (OSS). BSS typically includes things that support the business aspects (e.g. CRM, PRM, ERP, Analytics, financial, revenue management) while OSS supports the execution of the business with aspects like monitoring, management, and administration; resolution of trouble; billing and/or charging; provisioning; activation; fulfillment; etc.) In any service provider, services and runtime interact with OSS and BBS. Today, OSS and BSS are often complex archaic systems designed for legacy networks where services, hardware, and network resources consist mainly of static components.
To successfully compete at Internet speeds, it is essential to evolve the OSS and BSS to better model and interact with the richer and more dynamically configurable nature of NGNs, service delivery platforms (SDPs), and applications built and deployed thereon. Platforms and applications have now become re-programmable and composable or configurable/customizable. They must be able to minimize time, risk, and effort in proceeding from service conception to revenue-generating deployment.
In one example, FIG. 1(a) illustrates a lifecycle 100 for various services, here for telecommunications processes, wherein it is desirable to minimize the time, risk, and effort in proceeding from service conception to revenue-generating deployment, and it would be desirable to automate such a process. It is further desirable to provide a near zero-touch service lifecycle wherein an end-to-end solution can easily be provided to industries such as the telecommunications industry with OFM and applications. As seen, the lifecycle runs from conception 102 through creation and assembly 104 to implementation 106, which then may require further conception, creation, and assembly. The service is then provisioned and deployed 108, finally arriving at the revenue generation and management stage 110.
FIG. 1(b) further illustrates the lifecycle by detailing the concept to cash value chain 150. The chain passes from creation to design and configuration for the service. After execution of an appropriate campaign, the service fulfillment stage occurs, where inventory is assigned, and the service is provisioned and activated. The service usage and charging phase is then carried out such that the service can arrive at the billing and collections state—arriving at revenue management.
It thus is desirable to be able to integrate the various systems utilized at these and other various stages in order to streamline the service lifecycle.